Automatic release for tramway buckets



F. W. GRECE AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR TRAMWAY BUGKTS 3 Swtx-Sme 3 April 7, 19255.

Filed Feb. 8, 1924 'gi fr@ M5 mroRQEYS,

April 7, 1925. .,53;2,s12

F. W. GRCE AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR TRAMWAY BUCKETS Filed Feb. 6, 1924 3 SnuShe 2 iNvENToR. F mamen VVC (mes,

Uf 52;; ATToR/EYS.

Apri 79 1925.

F. W. GRECE AUTOMATIC RELEASEFOR TRAMWAY BUCKETS 3 Sheets-Shut s Filed Feb. e, 1924 INVENTOR. EUERICK- W. mes,

= f 'ms ATToRNEYs.

' St. Louis, Missouri,

Patented Apr'. 7, 1925.

en r

FREDERICK W. GRICE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB T0 BRODERIK t BSCOM ROPE CO., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR TRAMWAY BUCEITS.

Application mea February s, ieee.

To all wzomt may con/cem:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W'. GRICE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at have invented a new and useful Automatic Release for Tramway Buckets, of which the following is a specification. E

This invention is an. tramway buckets.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism "for releasing the dischargedoor of a tramway bucket to peimit the material to be discharged from the bucket, and automatic means for operating,r said mechanism during the travel of the bucket to the place of discharge, thus'dis pensing' with the use of the usual release devices heretofore employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism, Supported by the trolley beam or carriage from which the bucket is suspended, operated for releasing the discharge door of the bucket at any selected distance from the starting point.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism adjustable and operable to release the discharge door of the bucketI alter the bucket has traveled in any predetermined dista-nce from its startingl or loading point.

Other objects will appear from the lo lowing; description, reference being made to the drawings in which- Fie'. 1 is a side elevation of the invention mounted in connection with a tramway bucket and the carriage therefor.

Fie'. 2 is a. sectional View showing a part et the gearing; t'or operating the discharge door release device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the invention shown in Fig'. 1.

Fig'. t is a view showing the door latch that is released by the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5 5 nl' Fig. 1. I

Fig. is a sideelevation et an alternative l'orni ol. the invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the alternative l'orm shown in F ig. 6.

In the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the axle member 1 of one of the carriage sheave Wheels has a pinion .2 attached thereto outside of the carriage frame. 3. The pinion 2. meshes with a large gear automatic release for Serie No. 891,525.2.

wheel 4 rotative upon a support 5 about midway between the ends of the carriage. The support 5 en.4 'which the Wheel ft is nounted also supports a block 6 over which the bucket hanger Y passes. The bucket 8 supported by the hanger? is provided with a door 9 hinged at 10 and provided with a latching device which holds the door closed during .loading and during movement of the bucket to the place of discharge.

In the embodiment shown the latehing' device for the door 9 comprises a bracket l1, a latch bolt 12 supported by the door 9 and. movable into and out of latehinf engagement with the bracket 11, and connections for operating the. latch bolt. The lower edge of the door 9 is provided with a transverse angle iron reinforcing,r membercl through which the latch bolt 12 operates. il. coiled spring' lai of the expansion type eneircles the latch bolt 12 and (as shown Fig. fl) actuates the latch belt into latching engagement, with the bracket 1l, one end of'said spring' hearing' against aV shoulder on 'the latch bolt and the other end ot said spring bearing" against a bracket- 15 in connection with the door A flexible connection 1G :trom the latch bolt 12 to one end of a lever 17 operatively supported on a pivot 18 provides means for releasing the latch. holt at the'proper time to discharge the load from the bucket. The lever 17 has a bifurcated portionl 19 embracing a threaded shaft 20. The lower end ot' the shaft 2O is mounted in a. bearing 21 sup! ported b v the hangers 7. while the upper end of said shaft is mounted in a hearing 22 supported from the. block t3 and operatively connected with the hangers by arms Thus the shaft 2O is maintained in parmanent relationship with the bucket irrespective of the oscillation or the bucket.

The upper end of the shaft 2O has ay pinion 24 (Figs. 2 and 3) attached thereto and meshingr with a. pinion 25 attached te the gear wheel 4. A block 26 is screwed upon the shaft 20 and has a hole through which a rod 2T entends, such connection preventing the block 26 from turning when the shaft 20 rotates during travel of the bucket to and from loading position.

The connections 28 may be utilized to move the bucket from and to loading posi? tiens,

Y e the sprocket wheel'41 meshes with the pin- 26 may be adjusted upon the shaft 20 by turning the gear wheel 4 to rotate the shaft 20 and at the same time holding the device as a whole from movement along the: supporting rope or cable until the block 26 has been moved to proper position. 'Ilo h'old the door 9 open until all of the material has been discharged from the bucket an appropriate holding 'device may be utilized. One such holding device is shown in Fig. 1, comprises a lever 29 pivoted to the bucket and having a weighted end 30 which ,gage'd by 'a sprocket chain 40 will raise the outer end vof said lever 29 to bring a' shoulder 31 on the lever to position for engagement with a projection 32 on the door 9. Obviously' this willprcvent the door from closing, with the result that all of the material will be discharged from the bucket.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fi 6 and 7 the carriage 3 includes four wheels 33, the axle 34 of one of which has a sprocket wheel 35 thereon. A. chain 36 engagesv the sprocket wheel 35 and a sprocket wheel 37 on a supporting shaft 38. A sprocket Wheel 39 on the shaft 38 is enwhich ,also engages a sprocket wheel 41 on a supporting shaft 42.' A pinion 43 in connection with ion wheel 24 on the shaft 2G,- with thc result ythat the operative devices for releasingthe latch 12 will be operated the same as described in connection with the description' ofthe mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. This is one of the many variations of the. invention which may be made vwithout departure fromA the nature and principle thereof and in suggesting this single variation I do not in any Way disclaim any variations of the invention within the 'scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let-l ters Patent is 1...'1`he combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, and a carriage for the tramway bucket,

`of mechanism supported by the carriageand operated constantly during and as an inc1- dent to the travel of the carriage for unlatching the tramway bucket.

2. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket. a carriage fory thel tramway bucket, and

a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of. mechanism supported by the carriage and operated constantly during and as an incident to the travel of the carriage for releasing said latch to permit said door to open to discharge material from the bucket.

3. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of a shaft supported by the carriage, mechanism for rotating said shaft during and as an incident to the'travel of the carriagek from loading position, and a device operatc'd by said shaft for releasing said latch to permit the load of the tramway bucket to discharge. A

4. The combination with a tramway bue et, ,a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and a latch for holding the' discharge door closed, of a shaft supported by said carriage, mechanism for rotating .said shaft in one direction as an incidentv to travel of the carriage from loading position and for rotating said shaft in the opposite direction as an incident to travel of the carriage to loading posit-ion, and a device operated by said shaft for releasing said latch at discharge position of the bucket.

5. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage forthe tramway bucket,

and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of gearing supported by the carriage, and a device operated -by said gearing for releasing said latch.

L6. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of gearing supported by said carriage, and a device operated by said gearing ,for releasing said latch after said carriage.

has traveled a predetermined distance from the loading point.

7..The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramwayA l bucket, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of a Shaft supported by the carriage, mechanism for rotating said shaft as an incident to travel of the carriage from and to loading position, and connections operated bysaid shaft for releasing said latch.

8. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of a shaft supported by the carriage, mechanism,V for rotating said shaft as an incident to travel of the carriage from andA to loading position, and connections o erated by said shaft for releasing said latc after the tramway bucket has traveled a.; predetcrmincd distance to a vdischarge position from the loading-position.

9. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a carriage from which the tramway bucket is suspended, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of gearing supported by the carriage, means for operating said gearing as an 'incident to movement of the carriage, a threaded shaft supported by the carriage, means torrotating said shaft by said gearing, a block screwed on said shaft, and means operated by said block for releasingsaid latch. l

l0. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a latch for holdingl the discharge door closed, a carriage for the tramway bucket, and wheels for supporting said car-v riage, of gearing operated by one otsaid wheels, und mechanism operated by said gearing for releasing said latch.

ll. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a latch for holding the discharge door closed, carriage for the tramway bucket, and wheels for supporting said carriage, of gearing operated by one of saidwheels, mechanism o erated by said gearing for releasing sai latch, a lever for releasing said latch, and a device operated by said gearing for operating Said lever.

l2. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a latclrfor holding the discharge door closed, gearing in said carriage, and means for operating said gearing as an incident to movement of the carriage, of connections for releasing said latch, and an actuator operated by said gearing for operating said connections to release said latch. y i

13. rlhe combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a latch for Aholding the discharge door closed, and a carriage supporting the tramway bucket, ,of connections for releasing said latch, and mechanism `supported by the carriage and 'operating as an' incident to i movement of the carriage for operating said .5c Y

connections.

14. The combination with a tramway bucket, a discharge door for theftramway bucket, a latch for holding the discharge ,door closed, and a ,carriage supporting the tramway bucket, of connections 'forrelcasing said latch, mechanism supported by the carriage and operating as an incident to movement of thecarriage for operating said connections, .permitting the door to be opened bythe pressure of the material in the bucket, and means for holding the door open. v '1 5. The combination with a trama/a bucket, a discharge door for the tramway bucket, a latch 'for holding the discharge door closed, a carriage frame for the tramwayl bucket, wheels supporting the carriage l trame,4 gearing supported bythe carriage v frame, of means for operating said gearing by one of said wheels as an incident to moven by one of said wheels as an incident to movement of the carriage frame, an actuator operated by said gearing, connections operated by said actuator for releasing said latch perinittiiig the door to be opened' by pressure of material in .the bucket, and means for holding the door open.

17. The combination with a tramway bucket, a carriage 'for supporting the tramway bucket, a discharge door for the tramwayv bucket, and a latch for holding the discharge door closed, of an actuator supported .by the carriage, mechanism supported by the carriage for moving said actuator from a' starting position during .movement lof the .carriage from loading position anldfor 'moving said actuator to starting position. as an incident toreturn movement ot' said car. riage to loading position, and connections operated'by said actuator for releasing said j latch.v

' 18. The combination with a tramway ,I

bucket, a carriage for supporting the traniway. bucket, a discharge door -for the tramway bucket, `'and a latch for holding the dischar e door closed, of an actuator snpported y the-carriage, mechanism supported by the carriage for moving said actuator4 froma starting tposition du-ringunovementl ofthe Acarriage rom loading position and for moving said actuator to starting position 'as an incident to' return movement of said carriage to loading nositiom'and connections operated by sai actuator for releasing said latch during iinal movement of said actuator from starting position and aboutthe time the bucket arrives at the place of discharge.

' FREDERICK W. GRCE,

lll) 

